Hey everyone! I wanted to share a clever solution I came up with to save energy with my fax machine. It’s a simple setup that makes a big difference, and I hope it can help someone else too! 
The Problem: My fax machine was running 24/7, which was eating up a lot of unnecessary power. I wanted it to only turn on when there was an incoming fax, but I wasn’t sure how to do that. After some research, I found a smart way to automate it using my Fritzbox and a smart plug!
The Solution:
- Listener Function: I used the Callmonitor feature on my Fritzbox (with Freetz installed) to detect incoming calls to my fax number. This was the key to making everything work!
- Smart Plug Control: When the Callmonitor detects an incoming call, it triggers a script that turns on the smart plug connected to my fax machine. The fax machine takes just a few seconds to boot up, which is enough time to receive the fax.
- Automatic Shutdown: After 10 minutes, the smart plug turns off automatically. This ensures the fax machine doesn’t stay on longer than needed.
The Result: This setup has saved me a significant amount of energy, and it’s been working flawlessly for months! The only minor downside is that the date and time on the fax machine reset each time it powers on, but that’s a small price to pay for the energy savings.
Tips for Others:
- If you’re using a different router, look for similar call monitoring features or third-party apps that can trigger actions based on incoming calls.
- Make sure your smart plug supports automation via your home automation system.
I’d love to hear if anyone else has tried something like this or has additional tips to make it even better! Let’s keep making our homes smarter and more energy-efficient! 
